Stories for December 23rd 2015

Brazil’s new finance minister, Nelson Barbosa, continued his effort to win over investors on Tuesday reiterating that the government of president Dilma Rousseff will maintain the same fiscal policies intended to shrink the budget deficit and cut debt that were favored by his predecessor.

Malvinas Islands sovereignty claim is a “State objective”, and Argentine diplomacy “will do everything possible to reach a political consensus to design a State strategy” underlined Argentina's Deputy foreign minister Carlos Foradori during an open debate on the 50th anniversary of the UN General Assembly Resolution 2065

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said on Tuesday that her opponents' bid to impeach her has no legal basis since there are no charges against her. At the opening of a metro station in the northeastern city of Salvador, Rousseff said a country cannot resort to impeachment just because it does not like its president, and said Brazil should focus on restoring economic growth and creating jobs.

The Argentine government announced that it was nominating Carlos Sersale di Cerisano and Jorge Faurie, professional diplomats as next ambassadors in London and Paris. Both have long diplomatic careers and are considered very efficient and knowledgeable in international relations and global trade.

Argentine president Mauricio Macri pledged full support for Mercosur which he defined as a 'long term strategic project', called for a quick trade agreement with the European Union and closer ties with 'our partners from the Pacific Alliance'.

After almost three years tilted and sunken in Argentina's main naval base, Puerto Belgrano, the British built missile destroyer, 'ARA Santisima Trinidad' was finally refloated. The plan is to recondition the unit which was involved in the 1982 Falklands conflict and convert her into a museum.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), the world's leading maritime and logistics service provider, has signed a contract with CGG to provide offshore agency support services for a new oil and gas exploration project in the Barreirinhas Basin in the equatorial margin of northern Brazil.

A specially designed software to help detect, monitor and identify jiggers operating in international waters in the South Atlantic was presented at a meeting organized by Argentina's National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, INIDEP together with the country's Space Research national commission, partners in the development.

Mercosur full and associate members ended their Paraguay summit signing six joint statements, one of which in support of Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands and rejecting 'non authorized' hydrocarbons exploration in the Argentine continental shelf. This is the first regional document related to the Falkland Islands Argentine claim since Mauricio Macri took office last 10 December.